I've been visiting What Hi-Fi online for a few years now and can't recall ever seeing a review of Harbeth speakers, yet other British speaker manufacturers such as Spendor, KEF, B&W, ATC and PMC have all received reviews of their products. Is there a reason for this apparent oversight and will it be redressed in the near future? I would be most interested in reading how the experts at What Hi Fi rate Harbeths against similarly priced competition.
Harbeth speakers
- Thread starter tin ear
- Start date
chebby
Well-known member
It's doubtful whether Harbeth need a review of their products in What Hi-fi? S&V. If they wanted a review then they would submit a pair.
I get the distinct impression their order book is very healthy without such attention.
I get the distinct impression their order book is very healthy without such attention.
Well I suspect that the other loudspeaker manufacturers I mentioned are doing quite nicely as well thank you very much.
I don't think that's a plausible excuse for the lack of a Harbeth speaker review here, especially when relatively recent reviews of Harbeth speakers can be found at other online hi fi publications.
chebby
Well-known member
tin ear said:
Well, if Harbeth don't send review samples then that's it really. (Unless you think WHF? should spend £1600 upwards, per pair, to review some for you.
It's really up to Harbeth not WHF?
tin ear said:
Excellent. That's where you need to look then.
You could register here and ask Harbeth ...
http://www.harbeth.co.uk/usergroup/forum.php (or search their forum via Google for their opinions on various magazines and reviewing in general).
Lots of interesting stuff if you spend a bit of time looking, and their MD / designer posts regularly.
@chebby - what an odd position to take. I've used the search function on previous occasions btw and nothing came up in the way of a review. That's why I decided to post here about it.
chebby
Well-known member
tin ear said:
Why would a WHF? review be so 'special' (or even necessary) when there are already so many other reviews available?
I happen to like What Hi-Fi's reviews of audio gear and it's another data point, which I think is useful when you're researching a product that you're interested in.
As has been said, if Harbeth don't submit speakers for review then there will be no review.
Harbeth have a somewhat robust view about certain matters hifi, that almost certainly clash with the sort of info that WHF peddle. They clearly don't see their market being within the readership of WHF or they don't trust WHF reviews. Who knows[?] probably Harbeth I guess, perhaps you could enquire of them and then get back to us with the info you glean.
Harbeth have a somewhat robust view about certain matters hifi, that almost certainly clash with the sort of info that WHF peddle. They clearly don't see their market being within the readership of WHF or they don't trust WHF reviews. Who knows[?] probably Harbeth I guess, perhaps you could enquire of them and then get back to us with the info you glean.
relocated said:As has been said, if Harbeth don't submit speakers for review then there will be no review.
Harbeth have a somewhat robust view about certain matters hifi, that almost certainly clash with the sort of info that WHF peddle. They clearly don't see their market being within the readership of WHF or they don't trust WHF reviews. Who knows[?] probably Harbeth I guess, perhaps you could enquire of them and then get back to us with the info you glean.
I know that hi fi publications obtain review samples by accepting approaches from manufacturers to review their products, and also by requesting products for review from manufacturers. If what you're suggesting is right, then that's rather unfortunate. However, I'd be interested in hearing from WHF before I consider approaching Harbeth. I was hoping that a WHF staff member might chime in.
cse
Well-known member
I'm with you tin earr. You do seem to have had some very upity responses from forum memebers so far. I also would be interested in an appraisal from 'mainstream' whathifi magazine, especially as the same manufacturers always seem to win at the various pricepoints. My hunch is that Harbeth's soundworld is likely to be out of sink with that of whathifi, although Andrew might possibly appreciate them being a classical fan.
chebby
Well-known member
cse said:
Andrew left WHF? and this forum about a year ago. (Gramophone magazine - whom he still writes for - has also left the Haymarket Media group.)
He is to be found here ...
http://andreweverard.com/
gowiththeflow
Well-known member
Tin Ear, if you are really interested in a proper review, then it will be best to look elswhere.
WHF is more biased towards the "budget end" of the market and its forays into other tech areas show that it tries to have more of a broad appeal, rather than being a specialist HiFi mag.
WHF reviews are pretty hit and miss too and sometimes fairly superficial in content. Apart from other UK based magazines, try looking for reviews on other English language online mags. Stereophile have covered most of Harbeth's current range in recent years.
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WHF is more biased towards the "budget end" of the market and its forays into other tech areas show that it tries to have more of a broad appeal, rather than being a specialist HiFi mag.
WHF reviews are pretty hit and miss too and sometimes fairly superficial in content. Apart from other UK based magazines, try looking for reviews on other English language online mags. Stereophile have covered most of Harbeth's current range in recent years.
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For the same reason there is no Accuphase or MBL reviews here. They belong to the species audiophilia exotica regardless of price tag and most certanly don't belong in homo theatrus domesticus literature. They strategically choose to belong in the niche audiophile hi-fi market and not the HT mass market like B&W, KEF, Spendor, ProAc etc.
I sincerely doubt Alan A. Shaw called Haymarket to pay for a review and they told him to sod off elsewhere.
I sincerely doubt Alan A. Shaw called Haymarket to pay for a review and they told him to sod off elsewhere.
Macspur
Well-known member
Don't worry about reviews, just buy some SHL5's or SHL5+, you won't regret it, I promise you.
Mac
www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net
Mac
www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net
Jota180
Well-known member
cse said:
You trust someone elses ears judging speakers in a room that's not the room you're going to place the speakers you buy?
If you really want to know what they sound like in your system and listening room the absolute best thing to do is get a set on loan from a dealer. What they sound like in someone elses system and room may be quite different. Guaranteed your ears are not the same as anyone elses either.
gowiththeflow
Well-known member
tin ear said:
There isn't an ATC dealer anywhere near me, so I'm faced with anything from a 150 to 300 mile round trip and a day out, if I want to have a demo of the SCM 40's that I'm interested in.
WHF haven't reviewed this speaker model either, but there are several good recent reviews elsewhere, all giving them exceptional praise. However, I'll still have to go and listen for myself and hopefully get a loan pair for a home demo; otherwise the choices are buying blind (or should that be deaf?) or strike the SCM 40's off my shortlist.
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I'm having trouble multi-quoting so I'll just respond as follows:
@cse - I've been a bit suprised by the tone of the responses to what I thought was a reasonable post, but this is an internet forum after all.
@Vladimir - As I've already mentioned, WHF has reviewed loudspeakers from other British loudspeaker manufacturers such as ATC and PMC, which can hardly be described as mainstream brands. Nor are the likes of Sonus Faber and Dynaudio, which have also been reviewed here. Further, WHF has reviewed models from Spendor and B&W which are targeting the audiophile market and priced similarly to Harbeths. So I don't find your argument convincing as an explanation for why WHF have not reviewed Harbeths.
@gowiththeflow - I do read reviews at other "serious" hi fi publications such as the one you've mentioned. However, I've found that WHF's no nonsense reviews generally align with my own impressions of audio gear that I've tried, which is why I'd be most interested in their assessment of Harbeth's products.
@Jota180 - I know you were responding to cse but I'd like to make the point that there isn't a distributor for Harbeth where I live so they are not available for audition in hi fi stores here. I wouldn't have posted if I could audition them tbh. That's where reviews can be useful, particularly if you've found them to be reliable in the past.
Anyway, in the absence of a response from WHF, I think this thread has already run its course.
@cse - I've been a bit suprised by the tone of the responses to what I thought was a reasonable post, but this is an internet forum after all.
@Vladimir - As I've already mentioned, WHF has reviewed loudspeakers from other British loudspeaker manufacturers such as ATC and PMC, which can hardly be described as mainstream brands. Nor are the likes of Sonus Faber and Dynaudio, which have also been reviewed here. Further, WHF has reviewed models from Spendor and B&W which are targeting the audiophile market and priced similarly to Harbeths. So I don't find your argument convincing as an explanation for why WHF have not reviewed Harbeths.
@gowiththeflow - I do read reviews at other "serious" hi fi publications such as the one you've mentioned. However, I've found that WHF's no nonsense reviews generally align with my own impressions of audio gear that I've tried, which is why I'd be most interested in their assessment of Harbeth's products.
@Jota180 - I know you were responding to cse but I'd like to make the point that there isn't a distributor for Harbeth where I live so they are not available for audition in hi fi stores here. I wouldn't have posted if I could audition them tbh. That's where reviews can be useful, particularly if you've found them to be reliable in the past.
Anyway, in the absence of a response from WHF, I think this thread has already run its course.
@Vladimir - I think that you might have misinterpreted my intention for posting. I'm not positing anything, just wondering why I've not seen a review of Harbeth speakers here and hoping that this will be redressed in the near future.
To clarify, there isn't a Harbeth distributor in my country. That's why I can't audition a pair. So if I do decide to purchase direct from Harbeth, it will be based entirely on the impressions of others. I've read praiseful reviews of Harbeths at other hi fi online publications. In fact, I'm yet to see a bad word written about them. But as I've said, I like WHF's concise reviews and their star rating system is useful for comparing audio components in their respective price brackets. WHF's reviews of the PMC twenty.22 and twenty.23 were spot on based on my own listening experience.
On the upside, I happen to live near a hi fi store that carries ATC and I've auditioned the SCM19 a couple of times now. I should give the SCM40 a listen some time but it's beyond my budget, and I'm really in the market for standmounts anyway.
On the upside, I happen to live near a hi fi store that carries ATC and I've auditioned the SCM19 a couple of times now. I should give the SCM40 a listen some time but it's beyond my budget, and I'm really in the market for standmounts anyway.
tin ear said:
I understand and it's a fair point. However, I don't think WHF asks manufacturers to send gear for review. Manufacturers buy a review in WHF according to their pricelist. A review is the most prominent advertising space for a hi-fi magazine, manufacturer advertising banners and website indexing coming in second, google ads as third and finally sale of the print edition as fourth form of reveneue in order of relevance.
WHF is a business. Harbeth is a business. IMO Harbeth has chosen not to advertise in WHF in the form of reviews, for whatever reason. WHF will certanly not say no to a paying advertiser.
*unknw*
That seems like a plausible explanation, but again, it would be helpful to get confirmation or otherwise from WHF. However, that's looking increasingly unlikely. Not to worry and thanks for the replies everyone.
chebby
Well-known member
tin ear said:
Good luck with that. It took hundreds of us to yell and riot obscenely for a month just to get them to change web font size. *ROFL*
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